New South Wales Waratahs v British and Irish Lions, Allianz Stadium, Sydney; Saturday, 11am Irish time – Live on Sky Sports
The phoney war continues apace. The Lions Tour rumbles on in the established manner; the squad barely setting foot in another new city and another plush new hotel before turning its attention to another match.
In time-honoured fashion, too, the Lions pitch up in Sydney to face the New South Wales Waratahs a fortnight out from the first Test against the Wallabies, which in previous Aussie odysseys has been the tourists’ toughest examination in many ways.
Back in 2001, the tone was set by Waratahs lock Tom Bowen catching Danny Grewcock in the face with a leading forearm literally from the kick-off, leading to his sinbinning after three seconds. Most famously, of course, Ronan O’Gara was pinned to the ground and punched 11 times in the face by Duncan McRae, who became the first player ever to be sent off against the Lions, before a further two players from each side were yellow-carded for a brawl to make it a 13 v 12 game for 10 minutes.
Twelve years ago, when Michael Cheika was in charge of the Waratahs, Johnny Sexton and the Lions were rightly agitated by some fairly clear-cut attempts to rough up the Irish outhalf by a Waratahs team then coached by Michael Cheika.
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The quality of the Lions’ 41-24 and 47-17 wins were slightly overlooked en route to winning the first Test on both tours, with Cheika’s side going on to win their sole Super Rugby title in 2014.
Alas, those halcyon days have faded somewhat, and the Waratahs finished eighth of 11 in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign, thus missing out on the playoffs, three points above Western Force (who the Lions beat 54-7 a week ago), and a dozen points adrift of the Queensland Reds (who the Lions beat 52-12 last Wednesday).
Following on from the pre-tour loss to Argentina in Dublin, both of those restorative wins adhered to a similar script; fired-up hosts hitting the Lions with all they have for what is a once-in-a-career encounter before ultimately the tourists’ greater depth, reinforced by their bench, enabled them to ease clear.
Given the Waratahs’ unexceptional Super Rugby Pacific season, something similar is expected to unfold in this 21st meeting between New South Wales’ finest and the Lions, who have won the last four clashes dating back to a 6-6 draw in 1966.
Allowing for the quality of the opposition, much of the focus therefore will home in on individual performances and various combinations, although, as is usually the case, the quality of the collective will help to portray them in a better light.
Opportunity finally knocks for Hugo Keenan, who had been due to start against the Reds before falling ill on the morning of the game, and Blair Kinghorn, who featured Toulouse in their epic Top 14 final win last Saturday. They are the last of the original 38-man squad to play on this tour, with Ben White set to become the 40th player to feature for this year’s Lions vintage off the bench, pending the arrival of Owen Farrell as the 41st.
After Marcus Smith lined out at fullback against Argentina, and the unfortunate departure of Elliot Daly who started the last two games, the 15 jersey looks up for grabs between Keenan and Kinghorn. Their belated Lions debuts will thus be huge occasions for them but also pressurised auditions.
Of course that applies across the board to some extent, not least to Tadhg Beirne, who will captain the Lions against the Waratahs, as well as James Ryan, Finlay Bealham, Josh van der Flier and Mack Hansen.
The Waratahs won six of their 14 games in Super Rugby Pacific, although five of those were achieved at home. Their only defeats came against eventual champions the Crusaders and the Reds.
Joe Schmidt has released the Wallabies’ gargantuan prop Taniela Tupou and winger Andrew Kellaway, both of whom played in Ireland’s hard-earned 22-19 win over Australia last November. But five Waratahs players will instead play in Australia’s sole warm-up match against Fiji on Sunday (4.30am Irish) – prop Angus Bell, flanker Langi Gleeson, hooker Dave Porecki, winger Max Jorgensen and star centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in his home Test debut. Wallabies scrumhalf Jake Gordon is also nursing a minor injury.
Tupou and Kellaway are among seven Australian internationals included in the Waratahs’ matchday 23, the others being Lalakai Foketi, Darby Lancaster, Rob Leota, Matt Philip and Tane Edmed. Veteran backrower Hugh Sinclair will captain the side from number eight in the last game of his pro career.
Beirne follows his fellow Lansdowne player Dan Sheehan in leading the Lions. What’s more, the Waratahs will also be captained by a former Lansdowne man, Sinclair having played for the club in the 2013/14 season to work out whether he would try play professionally when he returned to Australia.
For sure then, this once-in-a-career opportunity could again see the Lions have to weather an early storm.
“A bit more continuity, a bit more putting things together,” said Andy Farrell in highlighting what he wanted from his team. “There’s a bit of a stop-start nature with our outcomes which is process-driven, 100 per cent. Just lacking a bit of staying in the moment as much as we possibly can.
“But having said that, I think it’s getting better. There’s always things to fix in every single game, but we’ve been pleased with some of our progression – our breakdown work was great the other night, our transition work, whether it be defence to attack, attack to defence, was pretty good as well.
“We want to keep improving our defence because that’s the main thing you’d want to stand for. I know defence has been pretty good, but there’s still room for improvement.”
WARATAHS: Lawson Creighton; Andrew Kellaway, Lalakai Foketi, Joey Walton, Darby Lancaster; Jack Bowen, Teddy Wilson; Tom Lambert, Ethan Dobbins, Taniela Tupou; Fergus Lee-Warner, Miles Amatosero; Rob Leota, Charlie Gamble, Hugh Sinclair (capt).
Replacements: Mahe Vailanu, Jack Barrett, Daniel Botha, Matt Philip, Jamie Adamson, Jack Grant, Tane Edmed, Henry O’Donnell.
LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Ireland); Mack Hansen (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland); Fin Smith (England), Alex Mitchell (England); Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Finlay Bealham (Ireland); Tadhg Beirne (Ireland, capt), James Ryan (Ireland); Henry Pollock (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Ben Earl (England).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Ben White (Scotland), Marcus Smith (England).
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand).
Forecast: Lions to eventually ease well clear again.
